BERKLEY — The city will soon bring in outside companies to fill largely unused space within the Berkley Ice Arena in order to earn greater revenues and make the facility self-sustaining.

City Manager Jane Bais-DiSessa and Parks and Recreation Director Tom Colwell appeared before the Berkley City Council March 4, seeking approval of the project. Members of council expressed unanimous support and enthusiasm for the plan, praising Colwell for developing creative ways to keep the Ice Arena afloat.

HUNTINGTON WOODS — City officials are moving forward with a project to make the Huntington Woods Public Safety Department safer for employees and visitors.

The plan includes $65,000 worth of renovations to the building’s lobby area in order to increase its security against any potentially violent incidents. It was approved unanimously by the City Commission Feb. 19 and will utilize money from the city’s capital improvement fund to enter a design and construction agreement with the Royal Oak-based firm Interior Systems Contract Group (ISCG).

Nearly 140 skilled artist entrepreneurs will bring some 40,000 pieces of handcrafted pottery to this year’s Potters Market, now in its 37th year.

A holiday tradition in metro Detroit and the largest all-clay pottery sale in the U.S., the event will feature talent from all over the state. The artists run the Potters Market as a collective, handling everything from constantly restocking the shelves throughout the weekend to checking customers out lickety-split at one of the 14 cash registers.

FERNDALE — Shirley Muldowney is a living legend in the automotive world who has resided in Southeast Michigan for decades, but this year will mark the first time that she has attended the Woodward Dream Cruise.

Muldowney, who broke the gender barrier as the first female drag racer nearly 50 years ago, is undoubtedly one of the greatest champions of her sport. However, she only appears at a handful of automotive events each year, and she feels that the organizers of the Dream Cruise have not been especially accommodating to her in the past.

FERNDALE/DETROIT — John and C.J. Milroy never knew Uriel Jones personally, but the music that he made will forever hold a special place in their hearts.

The same could be said for virtually anyone who’s ever turned on a radio over the last 50 years — whether they know it or not. As one of the three drummers for the legendary Motown record label, Jones served as an integral piece of what founder Berry Gordy coined as “the sound of young America.”

FERNDALE — The resurgence of Ferndale’s downtown district over the past decade has helped to create a pedestrian-friendly environment where most amenities are within walking distance, and now the city is being recognized for it on a national level.

On a recently released list assessing Michigan’s 65 largest cities, Ferndale was identified as the second-most walkable city in 2011. The list was compiled by Walk Score, a Seattle, Wash.-based data firm that evaluates the walkability of cities and neighborhoods across the nation.

PONTIAC — One of eight former employees of a Ferndale-based medical marijuana dispensary was convicted on a drug-related charge earlier this month, but her attorney plans to appeal the case immediately after sentencing.

On June 8, an Oakland County Circuit Court jury found Barbara Agro, 70, of Lake Orion guilty of one count of delivery and manufacture of marijuana, a four-year felony. Agro, a former Lake Orion police dispatcher, will be sentenced on July 13 before Circuit Court Judge Wendy Potts.

“I believe that the voice is part of the body, and a healthier, more relaxed body means a better voice for you to sing with,” she said. “It’s very similar to what an athlete would do to warm up his muscles before a competition. Singing is not about pushing — it’s about placement. Most students just don’t know to relax and breathe properly.”

FERNDALE — Pearl Watts was grieving the loss of her father in 1996 when she first laid eyes on the car that would become her signature among the legions of classic vehicle owners in metro Detroit.

At that time, the 1955 Cadillac Coupe DeVille was not exactly a beauty in the typical sense, but Watts could see the potential just waiting to emerge from underneath a body covered in rust damage and bullet holes.

BERKLEY — The city is moving forward with a strategy to improve and maintain its Parks and Recreation facilities over the next five years despite the financial difficulties that Berkley is currently facing.

On Jan. 24, the City Council voted unanimously to adopt the Parks and Recreation Department’s new master plan for the years 2011 to 2015. The plan is a loose guide designed to assist the city in meeting the recreation needs of the community and making improvements to Berkley’s parks, as well as the Community Center and Ice Arena.

HUNTINGTON WOODS — With the Huntington Woods Public Library reaching its 50-year milestone this month, Toni Brandt was reminded of the importance of not becoming complacent.

“For me, this means that we need to keep getting better and keep growing,” said Brandt, who has been the president of the Friends of the Huntington Woods Library since 1993. “We need to embrace new technology and also work to keep print reading alive.”